Feline Affection
by 1DarkPhoenix1
Summary: After botching a potion, Harry finds himself with some extra features, namely cat ears and a furry tail. This is how he copes with the changes and how a certain surly potion's master helps him. AU sixth year. Cliched but had to be done at some point.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – **This is a story in (probably) three parts, the other two may be some time in coming though because they haven't actually been written yet. Unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own, sadly though Harry Potter isn't. Enjoy!

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**Feline Affection**

by 1DarkPhoenix1

Harry sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour and forcibly blocked out the insults that Snape was throwing at him. He had been given detention by Slughorn for completely mucking up the potion they'd been making in class. Unfortunately for Harry, Slughorn had been called away halfway through the detention and had left Snape to take over. So that was how he found himself here, remaking the potion while Snape took the opportunity to criticise everything he did. He was also starting to feel hungry as dinner in the Great Hall had begun half an hour ago and Snape was showing no signs of letting him go.

'The guy's probably having a field day,' Harry huffed to himself as Snape compared him to his father once more. The Gryffindor was used to that now though and it didn't bother him as much anymore.

'The worst part,' Harry thought, his hands clenching around the knife he was using to chop ingredients, 'was when Snape insinuated that he had no family to love him, no one to care about him.'

Harry couldn't help but feel that this was true, especially since Sirius had died the previous summer. He knew the Weasleys considered him family but it wasn't quite the same; selfish though it may seem, Harry wanted someone just to himself. There were so many people in the Weasley family that he tended to get forgotten about in the mix. Sometimes he just wanted to feel close to someone; loved unconditionally.

Harry sighed again, feeling very sorry for himself, and dumped more ingredients into his cauldron. Too late he realised that he had added bat's eyes instead of newt's eyes and all he had time to think was 'Oh Merlin, not again!' before thick black smoke started billowing out of the cauldron and liquid spurted all over him. He could vaguely hear Snape's voice berating him through the mists of his senses before the world went dark.

Xxx

Snape was just getting properly into his stream of insults when he was interrupted by the smoke seeping into every corner of the room.

"Potter! Can't you do anything right?" he snarled angrily as he attempted to clear the room of the smoke.

Muttering to himself about the incompetency of the boy he failed to notice what had happened to the brat. It wasn't until he instructed Potter to clear up the mess he had made of the cauldron that he turned to look at the boy. His dark eyes widened in shock at the sight in front of him.

Potter was sitting on the ground choking back sobs with tears streaming down his face. However, that wasn't what had made the spy lose the sneering mask he had kept up for years. No, what had really shocked him were the two small black furry cat ears nestled in the boy's hair that twitched in time with his sobs.

Strangely, Snape mused inwardly (he was incapable of forming words yet), it seemed that Potter hadn't noticed the addition to his body, as he continued to sob uncontrollably.

"I don't know what I'm doing..." Harry mumbled between his sobs, "Everything always seems to go wrong...people will die and it will all be my fault," he finished as he scrambled to his feet and ran out of the classroom, still crying hysterically.

Snape blinked owlishly as he caught a glimpse of tail as the boy left. He felt, though he would never admit it to anyone, a bit concerned about the boy that everyone's hopes rested on. With that in mind, he strode off to find the headmaster.

Xxx

Harry raced all the way to the Gryffindor dormitory and flung himself onto his four-poster bed. He spent a while sniffling face down into his pillow before he calmed down enough to realise what he had just done. His face was torn between heating with embarrassment and going deathly pale with horror at the thought of Snape witnessing his breakdown. Snape, who guarded his own emotions so well that most people assumed he just didn't have feelings. Not that Harry agreed with them, he liked to think he had got to know Snape better during the disastrous occlumency lessons of last year and he could understand why the potion's master shielded himself from pain by seeming unfeeling. After all, people can't hurt you if they can't get close to you.

Thanking Merlin, that Snape had held him back over the start of dinner so that no one else had witnessed him tearing through the corridors in tears, Harry went through to the bathroom to splash water on his face, feeling slightly off-balance.

It wasn't until he looked up into the mirror that Harry realised with some amount of terror the full extent of the situation he was in. Furry Ears! He looked down at his backside and found the reason his balance was off. Whimpering softly and trying to ignore the appendage that had added itself to the base of his spine, he reached up in disbelief to touch one of his newly acquired ears.

Stroking the fur gently, Harry couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if it was someone else's hand doing it. A hand larger than his own with long tapered but strong fingers teasing the soft fur, the thought sent a shiver through him and he moaned before sliding to the ground in despair.

What on earth was happening to him!

A knock at the door stopped any further trains of thought that Harry may or may not have wanted to follow.

"Harry, my boy. May I come in?"

Harry mumbled an affirmative and looked up to see Dumbledore entering the bathroom and peering down at him with worry evident in his eyes.

"Are you alright, m'boy?" the headmaster asked.

"Alright!" Harry exclaimed, some of his usual spirit returning.

"I have an extra pair of ears..." he said, gesturing up at his head, "... and a tail!" Said tail apparently had a mind of its own and flicked Harry in the face.

Dumbledore chuckled, the twinkle back in his eyes and all signs of worry completely gone.

"You know," he said conspiringly. "With the state Professor Snape was in when he came to fetch me, I thought there was something seriously wrong with you. Why, he looked quite shaken."

Harry felt a brief stab of surprise that Snape had been openly concerned about him. It warmed him until he processed the rest of what Dumbledore had said. Nothing seriously wrong! He opened his mouth to say something but he headmaster cut him off before he could even start the first word.

"Now, let's get you over to Madam Pomfrey, see if she can spread anymore light on the situation." He smiled at Harry kindly and motioned to the door.

Xxx

Harry lay curled up in a ball on one of the beds in the hospital wing and tried to take in what Madam Pomfrey had told him. She had tried everything she could think of before deciding that his extra body parts were most likely permanent. Apparently, Snape had tested the remnants of the botched potion and had come to the same conclusion.

Speaking of the snarky potion's professor, when he had been up to deliver the news earlier his words had lacked their usual venom. Harry had to wonder whether Snape – if it were true that he was on the light side, which Harry was more than inclined to believe despite everything – was concerned about the sanity of their Boy-who-lived; anxious not to cause another breakdown like before. The gryffindor scoffed at the thought; Snape had never cared about his celebrity status as the Chosen One, why would that change now?

Strangely, that knowledge filled Harry with hope. He had always been just Harry to the potion's master, albeit with shades of his father included. Maybe Snape would still treat him the same way now that he was part cat.

"Bloody Hell, mate! They weren't kidding were they?" Harry looked over to see his two best friends standing by the entrance to the hospital wing. Ron stood stock still with his mouth slightly agape.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed at him, eyes widening meaningfully at the red head. She turned and approached Harry slowly and said,

"Dumbledore told us after dinner, no one else knows yet but I don't expect that will last long. Are you alright?"

Harry started to reply the negative but something made him pause and think about it.

"It's not too bad actually. I mean the ears are fairly obvious but I can control the tail now, look." He demonstrated by twirling it around in the air. "Madam Pomfrey says I'll have some cat-like qualities. Not sure what they'll be though, seems I'm a bit of a unique case."

Hermione smiled at him encouragingly as he said this. Ron reached forwards, hesitated, and then proceeded to pat him awkwardly on the arm.

"Good to see you're coping, mate."

Harry blinked at him and saw Hermione trying to hide a smile.

"Thanks, Ron," he said. A huge weight lifted from him as he realised that his friends weren't bothered by his change.

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**A/N – **Please review, any suggestions for later chapters or this one are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - **Feel I should point out that this chapter is slightly darker, which may not be what people were expecting but the plot goes where the plot goes. Unbeta'd again, but if anyone wants the job for the remaining one or two chapters message me.

**A/N - **I've just had it pointed out that I forgot to put a warning at the start of this chapter, so:

**Warning: **attempted rape (not very graphic)

**Chapter 2**

Harry would have liked to have said that things went mostly back to normal after that. However, this was _his_ life they were talking about; nothing could ever be that simple.

With his altered state had come a slight emotional instability. This seemed to mean that he was affected by things more than he usually would be. He didn't even want to think about the mortifying incident when his eyes had welled up and his lower lip wobbled uncontrollably after he repeatedly couldn't get a spell right in Charms.

Needless to say, because of this people had been treating him differently. Whispers and muffled laughter followed him in the corridors even now, weeks later. The Slytherins had taken to mocking him about it and even the other houses were more cautious around him; as if they were scared of hurting him, worried they might break him. Harry wasn't sure what was worse; being seen as the all-powerful Chosen One or as a vulnerable, helpless creature.

Thankfully, his close friends still saw him as the same person as before, just slightly less restrained with his emotions. Harry was glad that he still had all the people that mattered to him at his side but that didn't mean he cared any less what the rest of the school thought.

There was, however, one person whose response, or rather lack of response, hurt Harry more than anyone else's. Not that he particularly wanted to admit it and it was certainly not something he was willing to say out loud. In the space of two weeks Snape had gone from berating and insulting Harry at every turn to ignoring him completely.

When Harry had first been let out of the hospital wing there had been several occasions in Defence against the Dark Arts when it had seemed like Snape had been about to say something to him but then stopped himself at the last second. Now, there wasn't even that. The former potions master's eyes looked straight past Harry as if he wasn't there. He never took house points from the Gryffindor or gave him detentions, and though his essays were marked there were no extra comments or insults.

When he mentioned this to Ron and Hermione in the common room one evening, Ron had laughed and told him not to complain but Hermione had looked at him sympathetically. Apparently she had noticed his ears drooping and tail dragging along the ground after every defence class.

It wasn't that Harry wanted the attention; he had spent enough years as the Chosen One to know that he couldn't stand everyone's eyes on him. But he wanted Snape's attention, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Again this was something the teen wasn't quite prepared to admit to anyone yet, though he was fairly certain Hermione knew. There was something about Snape's presence that made him feel safe, protected.

Harry had always been the type of person that acted primarily on gut instinct, which made sense seeing as how he was a Gryffindor. Now though, his instincts were more animalistic in nature and he was finding it harder to deny his feelings. Harry was well aware that Snape had saved his life and helped him many times over the years and the cat side of him had taken this to mean that Snape would always protect him.

Harry firmly denied that his cat side was influenced by the feelings he had had prior to the transformation. There was, of course, no chance that Harry had trusted Snape implicitly despite his cruel demeanour.

Whatever the reason, Harry found himself once again hanging on Snape's every word in DADA and living in hope that today would be the day that the Professor spoke to him directly.

"Harry," Ron's whisper was accompanied by a sharp nudge to Harry's side.

"What?" Harry replied in equally hushed tones, most of his attention still on Snape.

"Me and Hermione have a prefects meeting straight after class. Are you okay to get back to the common room on your own?"

A flash of annoyance swept through Harry though he quashed it quickly. Ron's worry was warranted; the Slytherins had been getting worse and Harry wasn't sure what they would try if they found him alone. He was glad that Ron cared about him but still, he could take care of himself.

Harry nodded at his friend and gave a reassuring smile just as Snape announced their homework. He sighed as he heard 'Class dismissed!', another lesson gone and no improvement. Dejected, he trailed out of the classroom without a second glance and failed to notice Snape's dark eyes following him as he went.

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Harry wandered back to the Gryffindor common room absentmindedly, which in retrospect probably wasn't the best of ideas considering the circumstances. Thanks to the Marauders' Map he knew the corridors well enough that he didn't really need to look where he was going. The teen had also decided to take a secret passage part of the way back so that he could avoid everyone.

All this added up to the unfortunate fact that Harry was in an area of the castle that was practically deserted and it also meant that he didn't notice them until it was too late.

"Well, look who it is,"

Harry stiffened at the menacing voice and turned around slowly to see three bulky Slytherins blocking the corridor behind him. He didn't recognise any of them but judging from their size, Harry could only presume they were seventh years.

He scrambled to get his wand out, eyes widening with fear, but the leader of the three – the one who had spoken – disarmed him before he could even think about casting a spell. Harry's wand went flying out of reach and clattered along the ground past the Slytherins.

"Look boys, it's a helpless little kitten all by itself in the big scary castle," the leader said. He was dark-haired and stocky and at least a year older than Harry. Having always been small for his age, Harry had never been more aware of his slight build than he was now as the Slytherin crowded him up against the wall. His two accomplices were supporting him from slightly further back and no doubt standing guard as well.

"What you need, _pet_," he spat out the word, inching forward towards Harry, "Is someone to tell you what to do. Someone who can give you what you _need._"

Harry's attacker reached out to yank at one of his furry ears, which by this point were lying flat against his head in terror. Harry flinched back at the touch and in doing so whacked his head against the wall behind him, sending stars across his vision.

Harry whimpered at the pain, his whole body trembling violently. Fear cursed through him as he tried to process what was happening. It was as though his mind had shut down and the cat part of him taken over at the first sign of danger.

"Please, please don't," the words broke out of Harry's mouth, though he knew they would not help.

"Look at him!" the dark-haired Slytherin said, laughing and gesturing to his friends. "Look how feeble and pathetic the so-called Chosen One really is."

Hands started moving down Harry's robes and he screwed his eyes tightly shut in an attempt to clamp down on his fear,

"He's just going to stand and take it, aren't you. 'Cos you're just...that...submissive."

His words were interspersed with jerking hand movements trying to burrow deeper underneath Harry's clothes.

But the words managed to reach a shut-off corner of Harry's mind and some of his fighting spirit returned. He would never have given up this easily before he became part cat so why should he now.

Harry clawed blindly at his assailant's face and yowled loudly in the hopes that someone might hear.

"You little..." the brute cursed and sent a stinging hex at Harry before manhandling him around to face the wall, gripping his wrists tightly together behind his back.

Harry struggled against him but by this point the two cronies had joined the fight and he stood no chance against all three. The Gryffindor's body ached in a dozen places from their rough handling and another whimper escaped him along with a lone tear falling down his cheek from his still tightly screwed eyes.

Just as he was about to give up all hope, Harry heard a muffled 'Stupefy' from further down the corridor. Heavy footsteps rushed towards him and he felt the weight of his attacker fall away from behind him. Harry's legs gave way but before he could hit the ground strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him towards a warm presence.

Harry turned around in the embrace and buried his face into the heat of his rescuer who emitted a familiar feeling of safety that had Harry relaxing slowly, his trembling fading. He vaguely heard comforting words murmured into his ear before the adrenaline caught up with him and he blacked out.

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**A/N - **Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment, I've not really written anything like this before so constructive criticism is welcomed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N -** Here it is finally, the last chapter. Endless apologies for how long this has taken, real life has been very busy.  
As usual, not beta'd so let me know if you spot any mistakes. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

Snape felt Harry turn slack in his arms and picked him up to take the boy back to his own chambers in the dungeons. It didn't even occur to him to take Harry to the Hospital Wing; there was nothing Madam Pomfrey could do that Snape himself couldn't do just as well.

Even unconscious Harry was still trembling and Snape adjusted his hold on the boy so that he could gently stroke a hand through the mess of black hair. As he did Harry froze slightly and Snape cursed his own lack of thinking. Of course the boy wouldn't respond well, someone had just tried to force themselves upon him and here Snape was making it worse.

However, within seconds the Gryffindor had leaned into the touch, stirring a little in his arms, and Snape looked down to check if he had woken up. Drowsy green eyes stared up at him as a voice mumbled,

"Snape?"

"It's alright," he replied softly. "I'm here. You're safe now."

Harry gave a small nod before shutting his eyes again and turning his face into Snape's chest. Subconsciously his hand had resumed stroking the boy's hair in an attempt to soothe his own nerves as well as the boy's. When he reached his chambers Snape lay Harry down on his bed to rest, cast a quick diagnostic charm to check that the boy was physically fine and then, having sent off a patronus to Dumbledore, crumpled to the floor shaking.

He had just started his patrol of the corridors when he heard the terrible yell that Harry had given out. Not once in all his years as a spy had Snape ever experienced anything like the utter dread he had felt at hearing the sound.

From the moment of Lily's death, Snape had vowed to do anything and everything to protect her only child against the Dark Lord. But this time it wasn't Voldemort that had threatened Harry, this time he had failed, he had almost been too late.

Whimpers from behind him broke Snape from his thoughts. He cursed himself yet again; could he not do _anything _right today. Here he was wallowing in self-hatred while the young man on his bed was tossing and turning; no doubt reliving his ordeal.

Without a second thought, Snape removed his shoes and outer robes, climbed onto the bed beside Harry and pulled the boy close to his chest. The potions master was not a man known for his skills at comforting people but with Harry his instincts took over. Murmuring soft reassurances, he rubbed one hand in circles on the boy's back while with the other he held Harry's head to him and stroked the boy's nape with his thumb.

Snape continued this until the Gryffindor's breathing had deepened again and he was sleeping restfully. He was loathe to stop his ministrations completely because, he reasoned to himself, it seemed idiotic to put all his hard work in calming the boy to waste if Harry was just going to start panicking again the moment he let go. Besides, it wasn't as though he could move away without risking waking the boy up. Snape steadfastly ignored the voice in his head which mockingly told him that those weren't the only reasons he wanted to keep holding Harry.

A caress of fur to his cheek startled Snape momentarily until he realised what it was. In his sleep Harry's tail had curled up and was now nestling into the side of the potions master's face and neck. Snape chuckled softly to himself; sometimes it was so easy to forget that Harry was no longer just a boy. He raised his hand, smoothed down the hair around Harry's new ears and watched as they twitched slightly. Snape spent many moments just gazing at Harry as he slept before the rhythmic stroking of fur against his cheek lulled him to sleep.

Xxx

Harry awoke the next morning to warm arms around him. He was momentarily confused until he remembered the events of the previous day. He flushed realising that he seemed to have spent the night in his Professor's bed...with his Professor. Harry wasn't entirely sure how Snape could bear to be near him. The man had never liked him before but even if he had...

Everybody had been right to taunt him about being weak and helpless. When the Slytherins had ambushed him all Harry had done was stand there, meek and passive. Why would Snape want to bother with someone who didn't even try to defend themselves? The potions master was strong and cunning, and dare Harry say it, brave as well. Harry didn't deserve him or his comfort at all.

The Gryffindor hadn't realised that he had started trembling until he felt a hand stroke down his back and settle just above his tail.

"Hush now, you're safe here."

"But I...I didn't even," Harry couldn't get the words out but Snape seemed to understand what he was trying to say. His grip around Harry tightened,

"Look at me. I said look at me, Potter." Harry reluctantly lifted his head to meet Snape's dark gaze.

"It was not your fault," the man told him firmly. "There were three of them and only one of you, nevermind the fact that they are a year older than you with more knowledge of spells. There was nothing you could have done. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, he wasn't sure if it was the words or just listening to Snape's voice but he felt himself slowly relaxing. The potions master's eyes softened as he continued,

"You are brave and loyal and kind. And no matter what has taken place in your life you have always pulled through, even when the impossible happens." Snape chuckled slightly and flicked one of Harry's new ears.

"You are far stronger than you think, Harry."

As he finished speaking Snape became aware that they were still lying in bed, bodies pressed together and faces only inches apart. He was a teacher and Harry was only sixteen; they shouldn't be in this position, especially considering what had just happened to the boy.

And yet Snape couldn't bring himself to break the moment. He was also keenly aware that however much he may call Harry a boy, it was a man's body that he was holding in his arms. A very attractive man who had somehow broken through all the defences Snape had built up as a spy. He could feel himself stiffening and prayed that Harry wouldn't notice.

That didn't seem to be the case if Harry's widening eyes were anything to go by.

"You..." Harry said before cutting off, blushing. Snape was trying to think of a way to explain himself out of it when Harry shifted, pressing closer into Snape so that he could feel the Gryffindor's own erection against his thigh.

Snape watched as Harry gasped at the friction, his mouth parting. The boy's lips looked so soft and Snape could feel himself giving in, leaning towards them as Harry mewled at the movement.

A sharp knock at the door interrupted them before their lips could meet.

"Severus, my boy. Are you in there?"

Snape huffed out a sigh and manoeuvred his way past Harry and out of bed to answer the door.

Xxx

It was like nothing had happened Harry thought miserably, several days later. After Dumbledore had arrived, Harry had been escorted up to the Hospital Wing to be checked over properly, despite his protestations that he was fine. Then, the headmaster had asked him to recount what had happened and with Snape's steady presence at his side, Harry had managed to stumble through the whole thing up until Snape had found him.

It was at that point that Ron and Hermione had turned up, frantic, and Snape had left with Dumbledore to deal with the perpetrators. They had apparently spent the night being interrogated in Dumbledore's office.

Ron and Hermione were immensely supportive about the whole thing. Despite the fact that the ringleader had been expelled and the other two put in detention for the foreseeable future, Harry no longer felt comfortable walking the corridors of Hogwarts alone. Hermione had smiled kindly when he told her this and had made sure that there was always someone with him if he needed to go somewhere.

What did irritate Harry, however, was that Snape was acting just as he had before the incident and the ensuing events. He had hoped that things would be different now; Snape had been so caring and Harry knew that he wasn't just fooling himself in saying that Snape cared about him personally. The Gryffindor had looked into Snape's eyes and seen the emotions there, and now the man was ignoring him.

Harry was resolved to confront the potions master about it but the problem was he hadn't told Ron and Hermione what had happened with Snape, nor did he particularly want to at the moment. That meant that if he wanted to talk to Snape he would have to go down to the dungeons himself.

Harry glanced at his watch. He was studying with his friends in the library and he had about an hour before dinner which was plenty of time to go and see Snape.

"There's something I need to do," Harry told his friends. Ron stood up to go with him but Harry shook his head.

"It's fine. I'll be alright by myself."

"Ok, if you're sure mate," Ron said cautiously, sitting down again.

Harry nodded, took a deep breath and headed off to the dungeons.

Xxx

The last person Snape expected to see when he heard the knock on his door was Harry Potter but then, he supposed, knowing what he did about the boy he probably should have expected it.

He stepped back and gestured Harry into his living room. Harry blinked,

"You're just going to let me in?" Unsurprisingly, the boy seemed surprised by this.

"You do not seem to be at ease out in the corridors. After all you've been through I'm not going to make it worse."

They moved inside and Snape shut the door behind them. The potions master stayed silent, waiting for the boy to say whatever it was that was on his mind. Harry stood in the centre of the room, wringing his hands. Eventually the words came,

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "You do that a lot you know, the helping me. I always know I can rely on you."

He looked directly into Snape's eyes as he said this, unflinching. Snape was conflicted; he wanted to tell Harry that he could trust him fully; that he would protect him for the rest of his life, but at the same time confessions like that would lead to other things, things that shouldn't be happening.

Looking into Harry's eyes, he realised that the boy already knew his thoughts. Quite when Harry had learned to read him so well Snape didn't know.

"Harry, this can't happen. I'm your teacher and you're so young."

Harry's ears and tail drooped at the rejection but his fists clenched in determination.

"No," he said, stepping towards Snape. "No, you don't get to push me away. Besides, when have I ever followed the rules."

He reached forward and rested his hand on Snape's upper arm but the hesitated, unsure what to do next or if he had just crossed a line. Snape just stared at him, fighting some internal battle. But then he gave a small smile and said wryly,

"Who am I to deny Harry Potter."

Once, the words would have left Harry full of righteous anger but hearing the sheer strength of emotion behind them all he could feel was immense bliss as Snape cupped Harry's cheeks and soft lips pressed into his own.

The cat side of him purred in complete contentment and he knew that he would never feel this way with anyone else. This was his home.

* * *

**A/N - **Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought.


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